Handling apparatus and/or packaging apparatus and method used to package article groups in outer packaging

ABSTRACT

At least some of the articles (14) of a particular article group that have been placed into the outer packagings (22) by means of the handling device (26) are directed and/or guided during a placing procedure by means of a centering device (32) assigned to the conveyor line (20) and are moved along with the outer packagings (22), which are being transported there and which are in each instance to be loaded with article groups.

CLAIM OF PRIORITY

The present application claims priority to German Application DE 10 2018132 329.8, filed Dec. 14, 2018, which are incorporated by reference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a handling apparatus and/or packagingapparatus used to package article groups in outer packaging and/or toplace article groups into outer packagings, the apparatus having thefeatures of the independent claim 1. The invention moreover relates to amethod used to package article groups in outer packaging and/or to placearticle groups into outer packagings, the method having the features ofthe independent method claim.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The automated loading of article groups, such as beverage containers,into outer packagings, such as beverage crates or beverage boxes, isnormally carried out discontinuously because the outer packagings orbeverage crates, which in such instances are typically transported in anuninterrupted product stream by conveyor belts or other horizontalconveying devices, need to be stopped for each loading procedure even ifthey are transported at continuous conveying speed in the remainingcourse of the process. For a precise loading, packaging machinesequipped for the automated loading of article groups into outerpackagings usually require the outer packaging to stand still, at leastduring the actual procedure of placing the article group into the outerpackaging. Such a discontinuous loading naturally has the disadvantageof a comparatively low capacity, because the conveyance of the outerpackagings or crates has to be repeatedly stopped in order to place thearticles or containers into the outer packagings with the desiredprecision.

There are various approaches in prior art to reduce the recognizeddisadvantages, for example, by a quasi-continuous conveyance of outerpackagings while being loaded with articles, such as described in WO96/32323 or in GB 836 632.

If it can be achieved to load articles into the outer packagings in theongoing conveying process, another requirement to be observed in suchloading procedures becomes more and more important. The higher theconveying speed is at which the outer packagings are being moved whilebeing loaded with articles, the higher the achievable product throughputwill be, because the articles will have to be placed into the outerpackagings at correspondingly shorter intervals. However, the articleshave to be positioned very precisely in order not to miss their targetpositions in the outer packagings or in order for them not to collidewith the outer packagings before being deposited in their particulartarget positions. Each such collision carries the risk of interruptingproduction, thus necessitating an interruption in the ongoing packagingoperation.

In view of the disadvantages in the prior art, it can be regarded as aprimary object of the invention to provide a simply constructed andreliably operating apparatus used to package articles or, as applicable,to place them into outer packagings, as well as to provide acorresponding packaging method, in which, on the one hand, disturbingdiscontinuities during the conveyance can be reduced or even prevented,and in which, on the other hand, the risks of misloading the outerpackagings or of an imprecise positioning can be significantly reduced.

The above-identified object is achieved by a handling apparatus and/orpackaging apparatus as well as by a method used to transfer articlesbeing conveyed, for example, in a mass flow and/or transported in rowsor articles located in staging positions in another manner, into outerpackagings being moved continuously or intermittently along a conveyorline, the apparatus and the method having the features of the particularindependent claims. Further advantageous embodiments of the inventionare described in the relevant dependent claims.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention, besidesthe method described further below, also proposes a handling apparatusand/or packaging apparatus used to package article groups in outerpackaging and/or to place article groups into outer packagings, whichhandling apparatus and/or packaging apparatus has a staging location forarticles and/or for article groups, which staging location canoptionally also be formed by a conveying device used to transportarticles in a mass flow or in rows. If a supplying or staging in generalor a staging location is referred to in the present context, thistherefore does not only conceptually comprise a location where articlesare staged in order to be taken over, but rather also in a very generalsense a place or a conveying device where articles are transported to inorder to be seized and taken over.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The handling apparatus and/or packaging apparatus according to theinvention furthermore comprises at least one conveyor line tosuccessively transport outer packagings provided and prepared for anaccommodation of in each instance at least one article group that hasbeen formed from a plurality of articles. It should be pointed out thatthe packagings generalizingly referred to as outer packagings in thecontext of the present description can also take the shape of variousdifferent receptacles, which generally have to be suited to accommodatethe articles, that is, at least one article group or a plurality ofarticles inserted thereinto together. In practice, the outer packagingscan take the shape, for example, of boxes, trays, beverage cases, etc.,which are open at the top and into which the articles can be placed fromabove by the handling device explained further below in detail, inparticular, with the at least one controllable gripper head of thehandling device. If, moreover, articles are generalizingly referred to,these are intended to be mass-flow-suitable piece goods for which thefurther handling and/or transport and/or shipment is typically carriedout with outer packagings. The articles can thus be formed, inparticular, by receptacles, beverage containers, bottles, cans, or thelike, which can be gathered together in stackable and/or palletizablepackaging units by the outer packagings.

The apparatus moreover comprises at least one handling device that ismovable between the staging location and the at least one conveyor line,the handling device being provided and designed to simultaneouslyreceive and seize in each instance one article group from the staginglocation, to transfer the article group to the conveyor line, and toplace the article group into one of the outer packagings, which havebeen conveyed there. If a handling device is referred to in the presentcontext, which handling device can be equipped with, for example, atleast one gripper head used to handle the articles, this can be, forexample, a gantry robot, a multi-axis robot, a parallel kinematic robot,or another suitable handling device, which can be moved back and forthbetween the at least two conveyor lines to transfer a plurality ofarticles simultaneously to the outer packagings, and which can at thesame time in this process be lifted and lowered, as required.

For example, at least one controllable gripper head used tosimultaneously receive a plurality of articles, such as beveragecontainers or bottles, can be located at a movable tool head of thishandling device, which gripper head, for example, can be equipped withcontrollable article grippers, such as suction grippers, or withcontrollable gripper bells or the like, with which the articles,beverage containers, or bottles, can be seized and securely held for thetransfer into the outer packaging and can also be reliably released inorder to be deposited in the outer packaging. If the handling device isequipped with only one gripper head, it is normally possible to load anouter packaging with a defined number of articles, beverage containers,or bottles, simultaneously, for example, with a number of articlesarranged in a rectangular group of a total of twenty or twenty-four ormore articles, beverage containers, or bottles. The gripper head thushas to be equipped with a number of article grippers, which are normallycontrollable together, corresponding to the number of articles to begripped, which article grippers can in their spatial arrangement inrelation to each other moreover correspond to the arrangement ofarticles in the article group or can be adaptable to this arrangement.

Optionally, however, the handling device can also be equipped with twoor three gripper heads of the same type, which allow to seize acorrespondingly larger number of articles simultaneously and to placethe articles in two or three consecutively conveyed outer packagings,for example. By the in this way created possibility to load a pluralityof outer packagings simultaneously with particular article groups, inparticular, with article groups in each instance of the same type, acorrespondingly high throughput for loading the articles into the outerpackagings is possible.

The present invention has the special innovation of a centering deviceassigned to the at least one conveyor line and movable along togetherwith the outer packagings being transported there and to be loaded ineach instance with article groups, which centering device serves todirect and guide at least some of the articles of a particular articlegroup during a placing procedure, which articles are to be placed intothe outer packagings by the handling device, and which centering devicecan effectively prevent the articles from colliding with the outerpackages during the placing procedure or during the loading procedure,which is normally executed in a very short time and at a correspondinglyhigh speed, from being imprecisely placed into the outer packaging,and/or from missing their particular target positions in the outerpackaging.

As already indicated above, it can be provided for the apparatusaccording to the invention that the handling device comprises at leastone controllable gripper head for an article group to be to be receivedand to be to be seized, with gripping elements that are controllableindividually, in groups, or together for each article to be received andto be seized. In addition, it can be provided that each outer packagingto be loaded by a gripper head of the handling device in each instancehas a separate centering element assigned to it, which centering elementis a component of the movable centering device.

In this context it can preferably be provided that largely allpositioning movements of the handling device and/or of the at least onegripper head in relation to an outer packaging to be loaded with anarticle group can be coordinated and/or synchronized with thepositioning movements of the at least one centering element of thecentering device. In this way, the centering device can be coordinatedin its positioning movements to the conveying movements of the outerpackagings as well as to the positioning procedures of the handlingdevice at least in the last phase of the positioning of the handlingdevice and/or of the gripper heads, that is, immediately prior to theactual placing procedure, which is associated with the disengagement ofthe articles from the gripper head or from the handling device. It canthereby be ensured that the centering device is in the right place, atleast in the critical phase of the immediate approach of the articles tothe outer packaging, in order to guide and direct the articles and inorder to in this way prevent collisions and misloading due to aninsufficiently precise positioning of the articles in relation to theappropriate outer packaging.

The at least one centering element of the centering device canexpediently be formed by a suitable centering frame, the size of whichpreferably corresponds to a base area of an outer packaging, and whichcan be positioned above and/or placed on a circumferential edge of anouter packaging, and which guides the articles and in this way prevents,for example, that the articles touch down on the edge of the crate.

A particularly expedient variant of the apparatus according to theinvention can provide that the centering frame has a plurality ofdirecting devices to direct the articles while they are being placedinto an outer packaging, which directing devices can be formed, inparticular, by guide panels or the like leading funnel-shaped into theouter packaging.

A plurality of centering elements, preferably disposed next to eachother, can optionally form the centering device. It is expedient for thenumber of centering elements of a centering device to correspond withthe number of gripper heads of the handling device as well as with thenumber of the outer packagings to be loaded simultaneously.

The centering elements can optionally be adjustable together orseparately in vertical direction.

The centering elements can optionally be adjustable together orseparately in transport direction or opposite to the transportdirection. Where required, the centering elements can also be adjustabletogether or separately transverse to the transport direction in order tobe able to compensate for skew positions of the crates or of the outerpackagings, for example.

An expedient embodiment variant of the apparatus can be formed by thecentering device with its at least one centering element being guided ata movable robot arm. It is likewise conceivable that the centeringdevice with its at least one centering element is guided at a gantrysuspension disposed slidably on a rail along the conveyor line. Whererequired, the centering elements can also be suspended from pneumaticcylinders and be movable on a rail along the conveyor line.

It can moreover be provided that the centering device with its at leastone centering element is controllable in its movements based on thedetected movements of the outer packagings and/or based on an evaluationof the sensor signals supplied by at least one optical sensor detectingthe outer packagings to be loaded.

In order to achieve the above-mentioned object, the invention, besidesthe handling apparatus and/or packaging apparatus described in variousembodiment variants above and used to package article groups in outerpackaging and/or to place article groups into outer packagings,furthermore proposes a method used to used to package article groups inouter packaging and/or to place article groups into outer packagings, inwhich method articles and/or article groups are transferred by ahandling device from a staging location for the articles and/or articlegroups to at least one conveyor line. This conveyor line is used tosuccessively transport outer packagings provided and prepared for anaccommodation of in each instance at least one article group having beenformed from a plurality of articles. The handling device transfers thearticles and/or article groups from the staging location into the outerpackagings being located and/or moved on the conveyor line and placesthe articles and/or article groups thereinto. The method provides thatat least some of the articles of a particular article group that havebeen placed into the outer packagings by the handling device aredirected and/or guided during a placing procedure by a centering deviceassigned to the at least one conveyor line and moved along with theouter packagings, which are being transported there and which are ineach instance to be loaded with article groups.

This directing and guiding of the individual articles essentially servesto prevent risks of collisions while placing the articles into the outerpackagings, because the relatively high processing speeds and thefrequently very close spacings of the articles in the outer packagingsincrease the danger of the articles touching down with their basesurfaces on the edges of the outer packaging or their partitions, thuspotentially leading to production interruptions if the placing procedureis thereby disrupted or has to be stopped. The centering device isintended to remedy these problems by being brought to the particularouter packaging in each placing procedure and being positioned theresuch that the centering device can function as a sort of insertion aidor insertion funnel for the articles.

It can optionally be provided for the method that each outer packagingto be loaded by a gripper head of the handling device in each instancehas a separate centering element assigned to it, at least during theactual procedure of placing the articles into the outer packaging in theintended positions, which centering element is a part of the movablecentering device.

In this instance it can moreover be expedient to coordinate and/orsynchronize largely all positioning movements of the at least onegripper head in relation to an outer packaging to be loaded with anarticle group with the corresponding positioning movements of the atleast one centering element of the centering device such that acentering element is ready to prevent collisions of the articles withthe outer packaging each time the articles are inserted into the outerpackaging.

The at least one centering element of the centering device can, inparticular, be formed by a centering frame, the size of whichcorresponds to a base area of an outer packaging, and which can bepositioned above and/or placed on a circumferential edge of an outerpackaging, and which guides the articles. The articles can thereby beprevented very effectively from touching down on the edge of the crate,which can all in all significantly reduce the susceptibility to errorsin the packaging method according to the invention.

In order for the centering frame to effectively fulfill its task ofimproving the method according to the invention, the centering framecan, for example, have a plurality of directing devices to direct thearticles while they are being placed into an outer packaging, whichdirecting devices can be formed, in particular, by guide panels or thelike leading funnel-shaped into the outer packaging.

A plurality of centering elements, preferably disposed next to eachother, can optionally form the centering device.

The method can also provide that the centering elements can be adjustedtogether or separately in vertical direction in order to be positionedon or above the outer packagings. This adjustment is generally necessarybecause it is expedient to lower the centering elements at least by ashort distance into the particular outer packagings so that theirparticular guide panels or the like can reach beyond the edge of theouter packaging and down to the top edges of a partition, whereappropriate.

It can be moreover provided for the method that the centering elementsare adjusted together or separately in transport direction or oppositeto the transport direction in order to be positioned on or above theouter packagings. The centering elements can likewise be movableopposite to the transport direction, too, in order to be returned tofurther outer packagings to be loaded. This movement component of thecentering elements is necessary in all loading methods where the outerpackagings are moved on the conveyor line and are not brought to a haltwhile being loaded with articles. The centering elements thus have to bemoved along synchronously with the advancing outer packagings in orderto be able to reliably fulfill their task during the loading procedure.

In a further variant of the method according to the invention, it can beadditionally expedient that the centering elements can be adjustedtogether or separately transverse to the transport direction for thepositioning on or above the outer packagings in order to be able tocompensate for skew positions of the crates, for example, or in order tobe able to compensate for misalignments of the outer packagings inrelation to the transport direction. Since the gripper heads of thehandling device are normally also positioned very precisely above theouter packagings, even if these are not precisely in alignment withpreceding or following outer packagings or crates, it is in the same wayexpedient to also have the centering elements perform such compensatorymovements. Where appropriate, the outer packagings can be brought into adesired alignment with preceding or following outer packagings orcrates, if so desired, by corrective movements of the centering elementstransverse to the transport direction.

An expedient variant to perform the method according to the inventioncan consist in suspending the centering device with its at least onecentering element from a movable robot arm, for example, and in guidingit thereat.

It is likewise conceivable to suspend the centering device with its atleast one centering element from a gantry suspension and to guide itthereat, which gantry suspension can be slid, for example, on a railsuited for this purpose along the conveyor line. In this instance, thecentering elements can be suspended from or guided at pneumaticcylinders, for example, and can be movable on a rail along the conveyorline.

A further expedient option of the method according to the invention canconsist in controlling the centering device with its at least onecentering element in its movements based on the detected movements ofthe outer packagings and/or based on an evaluation of the sensor signalssupplied by at least one optical sensor detecting the outer packagingsto be loaded.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

In the following passages, the attached figures further illustrateexemplary embodiments of the invention and their advantages. The sizeratios of the individual elements in the figures do not necessarilyreflect the real size ratios. It is to be understood that in someinstances various aspects of the invention may be shown exaggerated orenlarged in relation to other elements to facilitate an understanding ofthe invention.

FIG. 1 shows the basic structure of an embodiment variant of a handlingapparatus and/or packaging apparatus according to the invention in aschematic top view.

FIG. 2 shows a first variant of a handling apparatus and/or packagingapparatus and its essential components in three schematic views (FIG.2A, FIG. 2B, and FIG. 2C).

FIG. 3 shows consecutive process phases in a total of five schematicside views (FIGS. 3A to 3E) of a first embodiment variant of a centeringdevice or, as applicable, of a first method variant of using thecentering device in the loading of outer packagings with articles.

FIG. 4 shows consecutive process phases in a total of three schematicside views (FIGS. 4A to 4C) of a second embodiment variant of acentering device or, as applicable, of a second method variant of usingthe centering device in the loading of outer packagings with articles.

FIG. 5 shows consecutive process phases in a total of three schematicside views (FIGS. 5A to 5C) of a third embodiment variant of a centeringdevice or, as applicable, of a third method variant of using thecentering device in the loading of outer packagings with articles.

FIG. 6 shows a further variant of the handling apparatus and/orpackaging apparatus in a schematic view.

The same or equivalent elements of the invention are designated usingidentical reference characters. Furthermore and for the sake of clarity,only the reference characters relevant for describing the individualfigures are provided. It should be understood that the detaileddescription and specific examples of the embodiments of the apparatus orof the method according to the invention are intended for purposes ofillustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of theinvention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The schematic top view of FIG. 1 is intended to primarily illustrate thebasic structure of a handling apparatus and/or packaging apparatus 10according to the invention, which handling apparatus and/or packagingapparatus 10 serves for gathering together article groups and/orpackaging article groups in outer packaging, as will be illustrated inthe exemplary embodiment described below by the transfer of beveragecontainers into outer packagings serving as beverage crates. Thesebeverage crates are in each instance suitable and provided toaccommodate a defined number of regularly arranged or, as applicable,appropriately grouped beverage containers to be received from the top.

The handling apparatus and/or packaging apparatus 10 only schematicallyindicated here has a first conveyor line 12 used to transport amultitude of upright articles 14 assigned to it. This first conveyorline 12 can be understood as modification of a staging location for thearticles 14 because it is very generally referred to a staging locationin the context of the definition of the invention, which can be astationary delivery location with a multitude of articles 14 stagedthere or also, for example, a conveyor line 12 according to FIG. 1, withwhich the articles 14 can be brought into the range of the handlingapparatus and/or packaging apparatus 10.

The objects or piece goods generally referred to here as articles 14 arein the present context formed, in particular, by upright beveragecontainers 16 being transported in a mass flow and/or in rows in adefined conveying direction 18 leading to the apparatus 10. Moreover, asecond conveyor line 20 close to the first conveyor line 12 and runningparallel thereto in the shown exemplary embodiment is assigned to theapparatus 10, the second conveyor line 20 being used to successivelytransport outer packagings 22 in the shape of beverage crates 24, whichare provided and prepared to accommodate in each instance at least onearticle group formed from a plurality of articles 14 or beveragecontainers 16, as applicable.

The outer packagings 22 can generally also be formed by other crates orcases or receptacles of various types, for example, by boxes of simplecardboard or also, for example, by film wrappings, shrink films or otherwrappings of planar packaging material. The machine referred to ashandling apparatus and/or packaging apparatus 10 in the present contextcan generally also serve to produce or form bundles such that it ispossible to optionally also convey strappings, lengths of film, or thelike on the second conveyor line 20 and to supply them to the apparatus10 for further processing, in order for it to be possible to producebundles in the apparatus 10 by gathering together grouped articles 14.

As is already discernible from the schematic top view of FIG. 1, theouter packagings 22, which are formed, for example, by the beveragecrates 24, are moved to the apparatus 10 on the second conveyor line 20in the same conveying direction 18 as the articles 14, which are formed,for example, by the beverage containers 16, are moved on the firstconveyor line 12. This parallel alignment of the two conveyor lines 12and 20 with each other is, however, not absolutely necessary, but canrather vary according to requirements in practice such that non-parallelconveying directions 18 of the two conveyor lines 12 and 20 for thearticles 14 or beverage containers 16 and for the outer packagings 22 orbeverage crates 24, respectively, are optionally also conceivable andhandleable.

The handling apparatus and/or packaging apparatus 10 shown in aschematic manner in FIG. 1 furthermore comprises a handling stationand/or packaging station 26 that is spatially and functionally assignedlikewise to the two conveyor lines 12 and 20. This handling stationand/or packaging station 26 serves either to package the articles 14 orbeverage containers 16 being conveyed in conveying direction 18 on thefirst conveyor line 12 by their transfer into the outer packagings 22 orbeverage crates 24, which can in each instance accommodate at least onearticle group or container group formed from a plurality of articles 14or beverage containers 16. This packaging or transfer of the articles 14or beverage containers 16 into the outer packagings 22 or into thebeverage crates 24 always also comprises a handling process, which iswhy this section of the apparatus 10 can also be referred to as handlingstation and/or packaging station 26.

The handling station and/or packaging station 26 can optionally alsoserve to form bundles by bundling the articles 14 or beverage containers16 being transported in conveying direction 18 on the first conveyorline 12 by gathering together a plurality of articles 14 or beveragecontainers 16 into bundles, for example, into strapped bundles, intofilm bundles, into shrink film bundles, into glued bundles, etc. Thisgathering together of the articles 14 or beverage containers 16 intobundles likewise always comprises a handling process.

The handling station and/or packaging station 26 has a manipulator 28 ora plurality of manipulators 28, which can be equipped, for example, withat least one gripper head 30 or optionally also with a plurality ofparallelly controllable gripper heads 30, which are provided tosimultaneously receive and seize from the first conveyor line 12 in eachinstance one article group with each present gripper head 30, and totransfer it to the second conveyor line 20 within the apparatus 10, andto place the article group, that is, the group of articles 14 orbeverage containers 16, into one of the outer packagings 22 or, asapplicable, beverage crates 24 being conveyed there. The manipulator 28formed by at least one gripper head 30 or by a plurality of gripperheads 30 can likewise be provided to seize the articles 14 or beveragecontainers 16 from the first conveyor line 12 and to supply them forfurther bundle formation by gathering articles 14 or containers 16groupwise together in bundles.

Even if a first conveyor line 12 is generally referred to in the presentcontext, it is also possible that instead of such a conveyor line 12,which can be designed as horizontal conveying device, for example, astaging location for the articles 14 or beverage containers 16 designedin nearly any manner is available and used, from which staging locationthe articles 14 or beverage containers 16 can be seized by themanipulator 28 and can be supplied for bundle formation or placed orinserted into the staged outer packagings 22.

The handling station and/or packaging station 26 only schematicallyindicated in the FIG. 1 with the manipulator 28 or, as applicable, withthe at least one gripper head 30 or with a plurality of approximatelysynchronously movable and controllable gripper heads 30 can be formed,for example, by a gantry robot, a multi-axis robot, a parallel kinematicrobot, or another suitable handling device, of which the manipulator 28,gripper head 30 or gripper heads 30 can be moved back and forth betweenthe staging location not shown here, or between the two conveyor lines12 and 20, to transfer a plurality of articles 14 or beverage containers16 simultaneously to the outer packagings 22 or beverage crates 24staged or optionally being moved in parallel conveying direction 18, andwhich manipulator 28, gripper head 30 or gripper heads 30 can at thesame time in this process be lifted and lowered, as required.

The controllable gripper head 30 or the plurality of gripper heads 30located at the manipulator 28 being preferably used in the handlingstation and/or packaging station 26 at a movable tool head (notillustrated in detail here) serves or serve for simultaneously receivinga plurality of articles 14, beverage containers 16, or bottles. For thispurpose, the gripper head 30 is or the gripper heads 30 are equipped,for example, with controllable suction grippers or with controllablegripper bells or the like, with which the articles 14, beveragecontainers 16 or bottles can be seized at their neck section or topsection and can be securely held for the transfer and the approximatelyperpendicular insertion into the outer packagings 22 or beverage crates24, which are open at the top, and can also be reliably released inorder to be deposited in the outer packaging 22 particularly providedfor this purpose or into the beverage crate 24 particularly provided forthis purpose, as applicable.

If the handling station and/or packaging station 26 is equipped withonly one gripper head 30 as manipulator 28 in a simplest equipmentvariant, it is normally possible to load an outer packaging 22 or, asapplicable, a beverage crate 24 with a defined number of articles 14,beverage containers 16, or bottles, simultaneously, for example, with anumber of articles arranged in a rectangular group of a total of twentyor twenty-four or more articles, beverage containers 16, or bottles.Preferably, however, the handling station and/or packaging station 26can also be equipped with two or three gripper heads 30 of the sametype, which allow to seize a correspondingly larger number of articles14 or beverage containers 16 simultaneously and to place the articles 14or beverage containers 16 into two or three consecutively conveyed outerpackagings 22 or beverage crates 24, for example. By the in this waycreated possibility to load a plurality of outer packagings 22 orbeverage crates 24 simultaneously with particular groups of articles 14or beverage containers 16, a correspondingly high throughput for loadingthe articles 14 or, as applicable, the containers 16 into the outerpackagings 22 is possible.

The schematic illustration of FIG. 1 furthermore shows the secondconveyor line 20 leading out of the handling apparatus and/or packagingapparatus 10 in conveying direction 18 to the right or, as applicable,continuing in conveying direction 18, where the conveying direction 18of the conveyor line 20 remains unchanged for the removal conveyance ofthe bundles formed in the station 26 or for the removal conveyance ofthe outer packagings 22 loaded with articles 14 or of the beveragecrates 24 loaded with beverage containers 16 for their further handling,such as palletizing. Normally, the section of the second conveyor line20 leading out of the apparatus 10 to the right can form thecontinuation of the conveyor line 20 because the beverage crates 24 donot have to be taken down or removed from the second conveyor line 20while they are being loaded with beverage containers 16.

The reference character 32 in the FIG. 1 refers to a centering device 32assigned to the second conveyor line 20 and movable along with the outerpackagings 22, which are being transported there and which are in eachinstance to be loaded with article groups, the centering device 32 beingused to direct and guide at least some of the articles 14 of aparticular article group to be placed into the outer packagings 22 bythe handling device 26 or, as applicable, by the manipulator 28 during aplacing procedure. In this context, each outer packaging 22 to be loadedby a gripper head 30 of the handling device or of the manipulator 28 canin each instance expediently have a separate centering element 34assigned to it, which centering element 34 is a component of the movablecentering device 32.

The schematic front view of the FIG. 2A and the schematic side view ofthe FIG. 2B illustrate the arrangement and mode of operation of thecentering device 32, which forms an important component of the handlingapparatus and/or packaging apparatus, and in which the centeringelements 34 assigned to the individual outer packagings 22 or beveragecrates 24 are in each instance formed by centering frames 36 in theexemplary embodiment shown here, which centering frames 36, at leastduring the phase of the outer packagings 22 or beverage crates 24 beingloaded with articles 14 or beverage containers 16, are positioned abovethe particular beverage crate 24 and preferably placed on the topcircumferential edge 38 of the particular beverage crate 24 (cf. FIG.2A) or, where appropriate, are lowered by a short distance into it (cf.FIG. 2B).

As is indicated in FIG. 2A, the centering device 32 can be suspendedfrom a gantry robot 40 or from a robot bridge, for example, and can inthis manner be moved in different directions in order to ensure aprecise positioning above the particular outer packagings 22 or beveragecrates 24, which can be moved or can optionally be stopped on the secondconveyor line 20 designed as horizontal conveying device 42 or astransport belt during the placing procedure, in order to be againconveyed further in transport direction 18 after having been loaded withthe articles 14 or beverage containers 16.

An optional, continuous, individual centering of the individualcentering frames 36 defines the position for the normally likewiserobot-controlled gripper heads 30 of the handling device or, asapplicable, of the manipulator 28. The typically robot-controlledgripper heads 30 can preferably coordinate or synchronize themselveswith the continuous movements and positions of the centering elementsor, as applicable, of the individual centering frames, whereby a preciseand error-free placing movement can be ensured when lowering thearticles 14 or beverage containers 16 to the particular target positionsin the outer packagings 22 or beverage crates 24.

The FIGS. 2A and 2B furthermore show the first conveyor line 12 formedas container infeed 44, the first conveyor line 12 likewise beingdesigned as horizontal conveying device. The beverage containers 16 orarticles 14 are transported there in rows in conveying direction 18 tothe staging location 46, where they are taken over groupwise by thegripper heads 30 of the manipulator 28 and conveyed in a transfermovement to the second conveyor line 20 with the outer packagings 22 orbeverage crates 24 staged there. The beverage containers 16 beingconveyed unspaced one after another in a plurality of rows to thestaging location 46 can be row-wise separated from each other byso-called lane separators 48, for example. Optionally however, thecontainers 16 can also be conveyed in a mass flow as long as it isensured that the gripper heads 30 can identify and seize the in eachinstance correct number of containers 16 in the mass flow.

The schematic side views of FIG. 2B and FIG. 2C furthermore show theinteraction of the centering frames 36 with the gripper heads 30, whichhave each seized a group of beverage containers 16 in order to lower andplace them into the outer packagings 22 or beverage crates 24 that havebeen staged or that are being conveyed in transport direction 18.

As can be discerned from the schematic side view FIG. 2B, the centeringframes 36 of the centering device 32 form not only an insertion aid forthe precise positioning of the beverage containers 16 when lowering theparticular gripper heads 30, but rather can the centering elements 32also serve as effective centering aid in relation to the beverage crates24 by being positioned and lowered inside the circumferential edge 38 ofthe particular crate 24. It is thereby possible to not only compensatefor position deviations of the particular centered crate 24, but rathercan the crate 24 in question also be prevented from assuming a deviatingposition in relation to the gripper head 30 or from evading the gripperhead 30 in the lowering phase of the gripper head 30.

The schematic side view of the FIG. 2C illustrates the temporallyconsecutive phases of lowering the centering device 30 to above theouter packagings 22 formed by the beverage crates 24 in order to prepareand position these for being loaded with articles 14 or beveragecontainers 16. The top image I thus shows the approach of a plurality ofcentering frames 36 to outer packagings 22 in each instance being movedbelow thereto in conveying direction 18 and formed by beverage crates24. In this context, the centering frames 36 are each positioned abovethe beverage crates 24 such that they can be subsequently lowered.

This phase of the centering procedure is shown below in the image II ofFIG. 2C. The centering frames 36 are in this context located inside thecircumferential edge 38 of the particular beverage crate 24 or arelowered into the crate 24, as applicable, whereby relative movementsbetween centering frame 36 and crate 24 are largely excluded. Thecentering frames 36 in this context move in conveying direction 18 atthe same conveying speed as the crates 24, that is, synchronously withthe beverage crates 24. The horizontal directional arrows above theparticular centering frames 36 are intended to illustrate the horizontalalignment 50 thereof in relation to the crate 24 assigned to each frame36.

The bottom image III of the FIG. 2C illustrates the precisely alignedcentering frames 36, which now not only enable the gripper heads 30 tobe precisely positioned, as can be enabled optionally by an opticalposition detection and/or by a matching of the position data of thecentering frames 36 and of the gripper heads 30. In addition, thecentering frames 36 can by insertion aids, such as funnel-shaped guideplates, or guide panels, or the like that are not discernible here,provide for the precise positioning of the beverage containers (notshown here; cf., however, FIG. 2B) in the positions intended for them inthe beverage crate 24, which can be, for example, separate targetpositions inside a partition in the beverage crate 24.

The altogether five schematic side views of FIGS. 3A to 3E illustrateconsecutive process phases of a first embodiment variant of thecentering device 32 or, as applicable, of a first method variant ofusing the centering device 32 in the loading of outer packagings 22 orbeverage crates 24 with articles 14 or beverage containers 16. In thismethod variant, the control of the centering device 32 is carried out insuch a manner that the centering elements 34 formed by the centeringframes 36 can each be adjusted separately in horizontal direction, as isillustrated in FIG. 3A by the directional arrows identifying theparticular horizontal alignment 50 of the centering elements 34 orcentering frames 36 parallel to the conveying direction 18 of the outerpackagings 22 or crates 24. The conveying direction 18 in these processphases in each instance points from right to left according to FIG. 3A,FIG. 3B, FIG. 3C, FIG. 3D, and FIG. 3E.

The centering device 32 in this variant is adjusted centrally in heightunder simultaneous adjustment of the centering elements 34 or centeringframes 36, as is illustrated by the vertical double arrow in FIG. 3Bindicating a vertical alignment 52. The entire centering device 32 canin this context be lifted and lowered by the gantry robot 40 shown inFIG. 2A.

The FIG. 3A illustrates the joint positioning of the centering frames 36above the beverage crates 24 to be assigned to each, with the centeringframes 36 being in each instance precisely positioned above the crates24 by horizontal alignment 50 and being together moved along with thecrates 24 in conveying direction 18 by a correspondingly synchronizedmovement. The FIG. 3B shows the centering frames 36 positioned in thecrates 24 by the centering device 32 being correspondingly moveddownward, in which context the centering device 32 together with thecentering frames 36 are in turn moved further in conveying direction 18along with the crates 24.

The FIG. 3C illustrates the loading procedure, in which the beveragecontainers 16 are placed into the beverage crates 24 as groups, in whichcontext their collision-free lowering and their precise positioninginside the particular crate 24 is supported by the centering frames 36in the above repeatedly described manner. The FIG. 3D shows a phase ofthe process, in which the beverage crates 24 completely loaded withbeverage containers 16 are moved further in conveying direction 18, withthe centering frames 36 still located in a lowered contact position onthe crates 24. The FIG. 3E, finally, shows a concluding process phase,in which the centering device 32 is in a lifted position and thecentering frames 36 are lifted out of the completely loaded crates 24such that they can be placed on the following beverage crates 24 as soonas these, by being conveyed in conveying direction 18, have reached theposition to be loaded with the beverage containers 16 provided for thispurpose.

The altogether three schematic side views of FIGS. 4A to 4C illustrateconsecutive process phases of a second embodiment variant of thecentering device 32 or, as applicable, of a second method variant ofusing the centering device 32 in the loading of outer packagings 22 orbeverage crates 24 with articles 14 or beverage containers 16.

In this second method variant, the control of the centering device 32 isagain carried out in such a manner that the centering elements 34 formedby the centering frames 36 can each be adjusted separately in horizontaldirection, as is illustrated in FIG. 4A by the directional arrowsidentifying the particular horizontal alignment 50 of the centeringelements 34 or centering frames 36 parallel to the conveying direction18 of the outer packagings 22 or crates 24. Again, the conveyingdirection 18 in these process phases in each instance points from rightto left according to FIG. 4A, FIG. 4B, FIG. 4C.

Although the centering device 32 in this second method variant is againcentrally adjusted in height, the centering elements 34 or centeringframes 36 suspended from the gantry robot 40 can in this instance eachbe adjusted in height in relation to the centering device 32 separatelyand independently of one another, as is illustrated by the threevertical double arrows in FIG. 4B each indicating a vertical alignment52 of the centering frames 36.

While in this context the entire centering device 32 can also be liftedand lowered by the gantry robot 40 shown in FIG. 2A, the separatelyheight-adjustable centering frames 36 enable an improvement of thesynchronization of the crate movements with the frame movements, becausethe individual centering frames 36 are pre-positioned and can be loweredto above the appropriate beverage crate 24 immediately after reachingtheir particular target position, in which context, moreover, theloading procedure by positioning and lowering of the appropriate gripperhead (not illustrated here) can already start without already having toload the adjacent crates 24. This option, however, requires acorrespondingly designed suspension of the manipulator 28, which has toenable an independent control of the gripper heads 30.

The FIG. 4A illustrates the joint positioning of the centering frames 36above the beverage crates 24 to be assigned to each, with the centeringframes 36 being in each instance precisely positioned above the crates24 by horizontal alignment 50 and being together moved along with thecrates 24 in conveying direction 18 by a correspondingly synchronizedmovement. The FIG. 4B shows the centering frames 36 of the centeringdevice 32 being successively moved downward such that the left centeringframe 36 is already positioned in the beverage crate 24 while the middlecentering frame 36 is still being lowered and the right centering frame36 is still located spaced apart above the crate 24 assigned to it. Inthese process phases, the centering device 32 together with thecentering frames 36 are again moved further in conveying direction 18with the crates 24.

The actual loading procedure is not shown in the FIGS. 4A to 4C; forthis purpose, it is referred to FIG. 3C, for example. The FIG. 4C showsa phase of the process in which the beverage crates 24 completely loadedwith beverage containers 16 are moved further in conveying direction 18,with the centering frames 36 still located in a lowered contact positionon the crates 24. The final process phase, in which the centering device32 is in a lifted position and the centering frames 36 are lifted out ofthe completely loaded crates 24, is in turn not shown (cf. FIG. 3E forthis purpose).

The altogether three schematic side views of FIGS. 5A to 5C illustrateconsecutive process phases of a third embodiment variant of thecentering device 32 or, as applicable, of a third method variant ofusing the centering device 32 in the loading of outer packagings 22 orbeverage crates 24 with articles 14 or beverage containers 16.

In this third method variant, the control of the centering device 32 iscarried out as in the first variant according to FIG. 3A to FIG. 3E insuch a manner that the centering elements 34 formed by the centeringframes 36 can each be adjusted separately in horizontal direction, inwhich context the conveying direction 18 in these process phases in eachinstance again points from right to left according to FIG. 5A, FIG. 5B,and FIG. 5C.

The centering device 32 in this third method variant is adjustedcentrally in height and can be lifted and lowered by the gantry robot 40shown in FIG. 2A. However, the in horizontal direction separatelyheight-adjustable centering frames 36 enable the beverage crates 24 tobe spaced apart in a in a specified manner as soon as the centeringframes 36 are positioned and lowered there, as is clearly demonstratedin the FIG. 5C.

The FIG. 5A illustrates the joint approaching and positioning of thecentering frames 36 above the beverage crates 24 to be assigned to each,with the centering frames 36 being in each instance precisely positionedabove the unspaced, consecutively conveyed crates 24 by horizontalalignment 50 and being together moved along with the crates 24 inconveying direction 18 by a correspondingly synchronized movement. TheFIG. 5B shows the centering frames 36 that have been lowered into thecrates 24. In these process phases, the centering device 32 togetherwith the centering frames 36 are again moved further in conveyingdirection 18 with the crates 24.

The FIG. 5C illustrates a phase in which the adjacent crates 24, intowhich the centering frames 36 have in each instance been lowered, arespaced apart from one another in a specified manner, which can beadvantageous, in particular, for the following positioning of thegripper heads of the manipulator, if the gripper heads require moredistance from one another due to their lateral extension than ispossible with crates 24 that are pushed together according to FIG. 5B inan immediately adjacent manner. The beverage crates 24 to be loaded withbeverage containers can in this instance have definable spacings 54 fromeach other, and these spacings 54 can be variable by the adjustablehorizontal alignments 50 of the centering frames 36.

The actual loading procedure is not shown in the FIGS. 5A to 5C; forthis purpose, it is referred to FIG. 3C, for example. The FIG. 5C showsa phase of the process, in which the beverage crates 24 still to beloaded or already completely loaded with beverage containers 16 aremoved further in conveying direction 18 with adjusted spacings 54 fromone another, with the centering frames 36 in each instance being locatedin a lowered contact position on the crates 24. The final process phase,in which the centering device 32 is in a lifted position and thecentering frames 36 are lifted out of the completely loaded crates 24,is in turn not shown (cf. FIG. 3E for this purpose).

The schematic front view of FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodimentvariant to the variant shown in FIG. 2A of the suspension and controlfor the centering device 32, which is not suspended from a gantry robot40 here, but rather comprises a simple rack 56, which can be slidable ina bottom rail 58 parallel to a horizontal conveying device 42 of thesecond conveyor line 20. In this manner, it is possible to move the rack56, together with the centering frames 36 suspended therefrom andvertically movable at the rack 56, in conveying direction 18 or oppositeto the conveying direction 18 along the conveyor line 20. Thisembodiment variant can be constructed in a simpler manner than thevariant shown in FIG. 2A, because the gantry robot 40 for the movementsof the centering device 32 is dispensed with. The remaining structure ofthe handling apparatus and/or packaging apparatus 10, however, does notdiffer from the variant shown in FIG. 2A.

A further movement component of the centering frame 36 transverse to theconveying direction 18 can additionally be possible in all shownvariants in order to be able to compensate for skew positions andlateral offset of the outer packagings 22 or beverage crates 24. In thismanner it is possible to load without problems outer packagings 22 orcrates 24, for example, even if they are not aligned precisely inconveying direction 18, by correspondingly laterally shifted centeringelements 34 or centering frames 36, in which instance it can beadditionally provided that the lowered centering frames 36 can bring thecrates 24 precisely in alignment with each other by being shifted inhorizontal direction transverse to the conveying direction 18 until allcrates 24 or outer packagings 22 in contact with the centering device 32are in alignment with each other.

The invention has been described with reference to a preferredembodiment. Those skilled in the art will appreciate that numerouschanges and modifications can be made to the preferred embodiments ofthe invention and that such changes and modifications can be madewithout departing from the spirit of the invention. It is thereforeintended that the appended claims cover all such equivalent variationsas fall within the true spirit and scope of the invention.

LIST OF REFERENCE CHARACTERS

-   -   10 Handling apparatus, packaging apparatus, handling apparatus        and/or packaging apparatus    -   12 First conveyor line    -   14 Article    -   16 Beverage container    -   18 Conveying direction, transport direction    -   20 Second conveyor line    -   22 Outer packaging    -   24 Beverage crate, beverage case, case    -   26 Handling station, handling device, handling station and/or        packaging station    -   28 Manipulator    -   30 Gripper head    -   32 Centering device    -   34 Centering element    -   36 Centering frame    -   38 Edge, circumferential edge    -   40 Robot, gantry robot    -   42 Conveying device, horizontal conveying device    -   44 Infeed, container infeed    -   46 Staging location    -   48 Lane separator    -   50 Horizontal alignment (centering frame)    -   52 Vertical alignment (centering frame, centering device)    -   54 Spacing    -   56 Rack    -   58 Bottom rail

1. A handling apparatus and/or packaging apparatus (10) used to packagearticle groups in outer packaging and/or to place article groups intoouter packagings (22), comprising: a staging location (46) for aplurality of articles (14) in at least one article group; at least oneconveyor line (20) used to successively transport outer packagings (22);at least one handling device (26) that is movable between the staginglocation (46) and the at least one conveyor line (20), the handlingdevice (26) capable of simultaneously receiving and seizing at least onearticle group from the staging location (46), transferring the at leastone article group to the conveyor line (20), and placing the at leastone article group into one of the outer packagings (22); and a centeringdevice (32) assigned to the at least one conveyor line (20) and movablealong with the outer packagings (22), the centering device (32) capableof directing and guiding at least one of the plurality of articles (14)of a particular article group into the outer packagings (22).
 2. Theapparatus of claim 1, wherein the handling device (26) comprises atleast one controllable gripper head (30) with gripping elements that arecontrollable individually, in groups, or together for each of theplurality of articles (14), and wherein each of the outer packagings(22) to be loaded has a separate centering element (34) assigned to it,wherein each centering element (34) is a component of the centeringdevice (32).
 3. The apparatus of claim 2, wherein each centering element(34) comprises a centering frame (36), wherein the size of the centeringframe (36) corresponds to a base area of the outer packagings (22), andwherein the centering frame (36) can be positioned above and/or placedon a circumferential edge (38) of each of the outer packaging (22). 4.The apparatus of claim 3, wherein the centering frame (36) has aplurality of directing devices to direct the articles (14) compriseguide panels leading into the outer packaging (22).
 5. The apparatus ofclaim 3, wherein a plurality of centering elements (34) disposed next toeach other form the centering device (32).
 6. The apparatus of claim 1,wherein the centering device (32) is guided by a movable robot arm (40).7. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the centering device (32) is guidedby a gantry suspension disposed slidably on a rail (58) along theconveyor line (20).
 8. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the centeringdevice (32) is controllable in its movements based on the detectedmovements of the outer packagings (22) or based on an evaluation of thesensor signals supplied by at least one optical sensor detecting theouter packagings (22).
 9. A method used to package article groups inouter packagings or to place article groups into outer packagings (22),comprising: transferring a plurality of articles (14) in at least onearticle group by a handling device (22) from a staging location (46) forthe article groups to at least one conveyor line (20) used tosuccessively transport outer packagings (22), and placing thetransferred article groups into the outer packagings (22), wherein theplacing step comprises directing or guiding at least one of the articles(14) of a particular article group into the outer packagings (22) by acentering device (32) assigned to the at least one conveyor line (20)and moved along with the outer packagings (22).
 10. The method of claim9, wherein each outer packaging (22) to be loaded by a gripper head (30)of the handling device (26) has a separate centering element (34)assigned to it, which centering element (34) is part of the movablecentering device (32).
 11. The method of claim 10, further comprisingcoordinating or synchronizing positioning movements of the at least onegripper head (30) with positioning movements of the at least onecentering element (34) of the centering device (32).
 12. The method ofclaim 10, further comprising adjusting the centering elements (34)together or separately in vertical direction in order to be positionedon or above the outer packagings (22).
 13. The method of claim 10,further comprising adjusting the centering elements (34) together orseparately in transport direction (18) or opposite to the transportdirection (18) in order to be positioned on or above the outerpackagings (22).
 14. The method of claim 10, further comprisingadjusting the centering elements (34) together or separately transverseto the transport direction (18) in order to be positioned on or abovethe outer packagings (22).
 15. The method of claim 9, wherein thecentering device (32), with at least one centering element (34), iscontrolled in its movements based on the detected movements of the outerpackagings (22) or based on an evaluation of the sensor signals suppliedby at least one optical sensor detecting the outer packagings (22).